Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's Interview With Series' First Female Director

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom ushers in a new era for the franchise, marking its first game helmed by a female director. This article delves into the insights shared by director Tomomi Sano and producer Eiji Aonuma during Nintendo's "Ask the Developer" interview, shedding light on the game's development journey.

Tomomi Sano: A Zelda Pioneer

Echoes of Wisdom holds a unique position in Zelda history; not only does it feature Princess Zelda as the playable protagonist, but it's also the first title directed by a woman, Tomomi Sano. Sano, a veteran game developer with over two decades of experience, previously contributed to various Zelda remakes by Grezzo, including Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, Link's Awakening, and Twilight Princess HD, along with titles in the Mario & Luigi series. Her role in previous projects primarily involved production management and coordination, ensuring alignment with the established Zelda style.

From Dungeon Maker to Epic Adventure

The genesis of Echoes of Wisdom is fascinating. Following the success of the Link's Awakening remake, Grezzo, leveraging their expertise in top-down Zelda gameplay, proposed a novel concept: a Zelda dungeon creation tool. While initial prototypes explored "copy-and-paste" mechanics and a hybrid top-down/side-view perspective, Aonuma steered the project towards a more focused narrative-driven experience.

The "copy-and-paste" mechanic remained, but instead of creating entirely new dungeons, players utilize copied objects as tools to solve puzzles and progress. This approach, initially met with concerns about potential exploits, ultimately proved to be a source of creative and unconventional gameplay. The team embraced "mischief," encouraging players to find ingenious solutions, even if they felt like "cheating."

Sano and Terada defined "mischief" with three core principles: the freedom to paste items anywhere, anytime; the ability to solve puzzles using unconventional methods; and the acceptance of ingenious solutions that might border on cheating as a core element of fun. This design philosophy is reminiscent of the Myahm Agana Shrine in Breath of the Wild, where players could cleverly circumvent obstacles.

Aonuma highlights the importance of allowing for unexpected player interactions, even if they involve unpredictable collisions, emphasizing that these elements contribute to a more engaging and memorable experience.

The resulting game, launching September 26th on Nintendo Switch, presents a unique Zelda adventure where Zelda is the hero, tasked with saving Hyrule from a multitude of rifts.